Found a dying mantis outside

[Bugmankeith]

Appears to be chinese mantis. It was laying flat on the ground motionless eyes dark black. I picked it up and saw its antennae and mouth move but otherwise nothing. I brought it home and tried hand feeding it can o crickets, grasshoppers, mealworms, small amount of beef baby food, and misting with water and dropping water in its mouth. It ate and drank weakly. A few hours later it seemed to try and move with heavy breathing and started shaking I thought it was dying there. I checked on it again and it pooped and is climbing around the cage and attacked and bit my finger! Clearly it's looking almost normal and abdomen is fatter I guess from the food I fed. It's October and except these past 2 days which had upper 70s which is abnormal high for New York now usually it's been 60s and 50s out. Should I let it go or keep it and keep feeding it? I can't tell what gender it is.

 

[happy1892]

It is probably female this late in the year. It would have needed to be much lower than 70F to make the Chinese mantis slow. I forget exactly what temperature of one of my T. sinensis females was in when she dropped to the ground when I kept her outside (She came back to life when I brought her inside).

 

[Bugmankeith]

I'm pretty sure if female she layed ootheca and was dying of weakness/starvation it was stick thin. We did have it in the 40s 2 days ago so the mantis had to be stressed.

If female is it possible she could lay another ootheca or once they are finished they don't lay anymore?

The weather is in low 60s pouring rain and in 2 days is going in 50s.

 

[Bugmankeith]

I checked it is female.

I wanted to release her if she can lay more eggs. If she cannot lay more eggs than perhaps keeping Her might be better.

 

[Ntsees]

Its the time of year for them to start dying due to the cold. If you keep it inside and feed it, assuming it has recovered, you can squeeze another ooth or two from it. But it's a naturalized exotic so it doesn't really matter.

 

[Bugmankeith]

Its the time of year for them to start dying due to the cold. If you keep it inside and feed it, assuming it has recovered, you can squeeze another ooth or two from it. But it's a naturalized exotic so it doesn't really matter.

I am thinking of keeping her, but how do I setup a cage, and how do I get her to lay ootheca on branches I put in (that way I can tie them outside in bushes). Do I mist cage with water for a drink? She has ability to hunt but so far all I can do is hand feed her she isn't trying to catch prey I gave small crickets.

 

[happy1892]

She might be too weak from lack of food to eat and live much longer.

 

[Bugmankeith]

She might be too weak from lack of food to eat and live much longer.

She eats, but by hand feeding. She is active just refuses to hunt could be not used to captivity.

Her poo is liquid now due to the can food having lots of liquid, that's why I need her to eat live prey to normalize it.

 

[Danny.]

Release her...

 

[Bugmankeith]

Release her...

So the cold kills her?

 

[Bugmankeith]

I decided to let her go. Next two days turned out to be nice weather and the bugs are out everywhere. I released her in a shrub that is infested with scale insects and is a hot spot for ootheca laying. It attracts flies and yellow jackets due to sweet secretions from scale insects. It gets direct afternoon sun too. Within minutes of release she caught and ate 2 yellow jackets and was working on a 3rd, I'm hoping she'll lay eggs in my shrub she is fat now! Will post photos later I wish her good luck!

 

[Bugmankeith]

Here are photos on her release day, I saw her today (day after) still eating bugs.

 

[happy1892]

Wow, she looks healthy in the pictures.

 

[Bugmankeith]

I hope she survived the night I didn't see her yesterday and last night we had a freak cold snap 38F if she made it she should be ok next week or so won't be too cold.

 

[Bugmankeith]

I hope she survived the night I didn't see her yesterday and last night we had a freak cold snap 38F if she made it she should be ok next week or so won't be too cold.

After two days I found her she is just fine

 

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She is so beautiful!!!!

 

[dmina]

Great.. thanks for the update

 

[Rick]

Yes, they die naturally this time of year. They usually hang around until the first frost.

 

[Bugmankeith]

I saw her today still quite plump! We had frost and even snow flurries few days ago and at night it was 34F! But during the day we still get bugs so apparently she is catching food. I wish she would lay another ootheca before the real cold comes. She is the oldest wild mantis I've ever seen!